The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-01-21
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
An Interesting and Important
State Document.
Governor Rusk's Second Biennial Conn
Observation-Disclosures of Public Af-
fairs, and Recommendations
for the Future.
10 be Honorable. tLs Ia .sldara..

1 ld1ESS Recommendations
for the Future.
/ To the Honorable, the Leg StatsFes
| You are asain assembled after a lapse Of
/ Two years OF general prosperity vouchsafed
| the people of the State by a benign and
| gracious Providence, and congratulate you
| upon the many hopeful signs of bohtinna-
| ton for the future. New discoveries have been
| made, and new fields OF industry and employ
| ment are being opened, and the prospects that
| the resources of the State will be greatly de-
| 9eloped during the coming year, are gratifying
! IN the extreme. While thus congratulating
| you upon our material progress, it is with deep
| regret that am compelled to report that, dur
| ing the past year, the peace OF our State has
| In few instances, been interrupted by strikes
! and riots of greater magnitude, OF more
J violence and farther reaching il their con-
| sequences than ever before. IN this ebnnee-
| tion you are reminded that it will be Your duty
| as legislators to look carefully into the causes
| of these troubles, and whefein our laws for the
| prevention OF wrong doing, or the punishment
| OF wrong -doefS are found TO be defective, il
| viii be your duty to perfect them hy such new
| legislation as recent experience and reason
| able anticipatons fer the future may indicate
| to be required. While your own intelligence
aided by your Investigations and discussions
| Wlll, have no doubt, lead you to satisfactory
| solution of all the problems involved in this
subject, yet may be INDUCED in few sug-
/ gestions which hope will not be found either
| impairment or unwarranted.
| The discussion of the labor and capital dues=
| ton has become 30 extensive, has taken such
| wide range, and is being participated In by so
| many people, representing such d diversity of
views and interests, that it is not strande III at
this stage of the discussion. there is more CON
fusion than clearness OF thought upon it. To
| eliminate from all this confusion and contro-
| versy which Is essential, concrete and practical
| BILE, and in accord with those principles of
| justice upon which all good government Is
| founded, and embody it in effective law, is no
| light nor trivial task
It seems to nue. that a very Important
| might say vltal-fact in this great agitation has
! SO 1ar been almost lost sight Of namely: That a
| large majority OF the people of every city and
| every State where the labor troubles have ex-
| lsted, and an overwhelming majority of the
| whole people, are not directly parties to the
| controversy at all. The contention is between
| employees and employers, and both classes com
| blned are but a minority fraction of the whole
people, whose peace and interests are interrupt
| ed and their rights violated by these unseemly
| and unnecessary disturbances. It IS the right
| and duty of the people-that is; of the great
mas ma1orltyte step il and say ,,ot W Jet US
through the law and lawfully-constituted au-
tnorlties to see to 1T that we do have peace, and
Shat disturbers are promptly and properly pun
| ished.
| In few communities, comparatively there
are large bodies of workmen, or laborers, who
| voluntarily choose to work for Others for
wages; These, by general usage, are called
| working men," But they are not the only
| working men-not the only laborers in the coun-
try. Tine great majority of our people are
| workers, with hands or brain, or both. and to
| all such belongs equally the proud title Of la
! porer But farther, majority OF the whole
2, number who do manual productive labor ena=
| poy themselves, pitn for themselves, w1rk for
themselves, and take the whole product of
their labor to themselves; and fin6 market for
| their surplus, when and as they can This great,
| independent, self-reliant majority is the bone
ana slnew, the pride and glory of good citizen
| snip. Among them there strikes or
riots, no interference with the opportunities lib
| critics and rights Of others. That their rights
| ana WeU interests should be jeopardzed by
| the restless contentious of small minority
! who tidiculously assume that then are the 0niJ
| td6ore1s of the country, is wrong too manifest
| 10 be much longer endured If the parties to
| these overcoming disturbances can not find
| way OF amlcably settling their disputes, they
| must be made to submit to such legal arbitra-
| uon us viii az least protect the peace and dig
| nifty OF civilized commonwealth.
| In Indicating that E0fne additional legisla-
| ton may be required touching the rights of
| laborefs OF oil classes, and their mutual rela-
LIONS TO each other, only the most prominent
| fundamental principles of natural liberty and
| popular government need be alluded to.
| IL mas already been assumed that where per-
| son employs himself and works on his own
premises, and on his own material, with his
own tools, the product of his labor is all his
| own, to do with as he sees fit. That he must
| be protected in the full enjoyment of all the
fruit of his Judgment labor and skill it does not
| require argument to convince us, Il is self
| evident. But where one person engages to
| WORN for another on another's premises and
material, and with another tools or machinery,
| 1t is equally clear that the product belongs to
! the employers the workmans claim ends with
| the receipt of his stipulated wages. The States
duty and province in such cases is simply to
| MAINTAIN individual rights and enforce the full
| hllment OF contracts. Every ones right to work
| for himself, or for any one else, on such terms
| as he may choose to make, must be maintained
| at all hazards. He who interferes with this
| principle, tramples upon the most sacred Of hui
| man rights and upon consecrated principle of
| American liberty.
! Government should not be-indeed can not
| AFFORD to be-indifferent to the welfare of any
class OF citizens; and it is special duty to pro-
| tect the poor and weak against any possible
| aggreislons of the rich and strong. TO this end.
| all the rights and interests of working-men of
| the wige classes should be iealously guarded
| against injustice or oppression at the hands of
| their employers. Corporations created by au-
thor1t? Of the State, that in the nature of their
| business must be large employers of labor, or
that from the nature of their business and their
| charges for service may largely affect the value
| or the product of labor generally to the pro-
| Queer, must be held to a strict and Just &C
| countability, and be subject always to the con-
tr3l AMI regulation of the State.
| With those agrarian and socialiStic theories
OF fancIul society that deny the right of private
property, or Of each individual to full protection
| IN the enjoyment and control of all his lawful
earnings, whether obtained by his own labor or
| by contract we can have no sympathy. They
| are as Un-American as monarchy, and as trea-
| SonabIc as secession. They contemplate the
destruction of both justice and liberty, and
would accomplish the destruction of both if
| Jnelr application to existing society were
| seriously attempted. We are not prepared, as
| American citizens, to even consider change in
our form of government. Republican institu-
t1onS aid individual liberty go hand in hand.
| and must be and will be Loyalty maintained
| FINANCES.
The finances of the State are in satisfactory
| condition. No tax has been levied upon the
| counties for the past three years for defraying
| the expenses of the State Government In the
| a was ITinH md mol
1ected fl ON the several counties amounting to
S6O9, 664. s3, for State purposes. Notwithstand-
ing the large appropriations made by the last
| Legislature, amounting to about 100000 all of
which CO me out of the general fund, there re-
| manned balance in that fund, at the close of
! the biennial period September 80, 1885, as
| shown By the report of the Secretary of State,
of S485, GS9.S5. These appropriations and the
| expenses of the State Government were paid
| without tevying tax upon the counties. The
| report OF the Secretary of State furnishes de-
tailed statement of the receipts and disburse-
ments OF the several funds and the cost of main
| tanning the State Government. Unless the
Legislature shall make additional appropria-
tons, above the ordinary expenses of the Legis-
| lative judicial and executive departments no
necessity will exist for providing for any tax
| levy for the next two years.
TRUST FUNDS.
| The productive school funds on the Both day
| Of September, 1886, amounted to s297S, u.s. II
| and there was to the credit of the fund, in the
! treasury, on that day, S37,291.06. The school
490S2, including the one-mill tax amounting to
S4SS, 81, and was apportioned to the several
| counties upon the number of children of school
! age.
| The productive university fund, bearing in
| terest, on the Both day of September 1885,
| amounting to S190,99s.35, and the balance on
| hand to the credit of the fund.- on that day, was
| S37,552. Is. The university fund income for the
biennial period, amounted to S214, 020S1.
The Agricultural College fund. bearing inter
/ est. on the 30th day of September, 1886, was
S25S, 591'4 and the balance on hand in the treas
| ury was S36, 1901. The Agricultural College
| fund income was S32, S90.91 for two years.
The productive Normal School fund, on the
! 30th day of September 1886, amounted to
Sl.39S, 7494S, and the balance in the treasury on
| the same day, was 1904. The total Normal
| School fund income for the two years was $780,
17444 all Of which was passed to the treasury of
| the Normal School Board
The receipts of the Drainage fund for the hi.
| ennial period, were 800 450.S9 and the balance
| to the credit of that fund, September 30 1885,
was S65. 2SS. SO. There was apportioned to coun-
ties during this period ST2 e5056, as provided by
| law. Under the act of 1885. providing for the
| appointment OF an agent to expedite the settle
! ment of claims against the general Govern
ment under the swamp-land grant, I appointed
George W. Burchard, and he has procured pat
ents to the State for about 10000 acres of land
| and cash amounting to S36S.90. A bill is now
before Congress which, should it become a law
4 -srl ~ - Arn